Portable car cleaning machine



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PORTABLE CAR CLEANING MACHINE Filed Jan. 13, 1940 4 Shee't s-Sheet l INVENTORS: :fi'rZhur mfg r022 23. Jul; Toroic,

BY Uzi/u! ATTORNEYS.

.Aug. 26, 1941. A. w. BYRON EIAL 2,253,609

PORTABLE CAR CLEANING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES: v v i I N VEN TOR5 Z firthur 71513 ran 23 JizZL Tarok,

B Wm

' ATTORNEYS.

' g- 1941. .A. w. BYRON E l'AL 2,253,609

I PORTABLE CAR CLEANING MACHINE Fi led Jan. 13, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 lm-ca a II 9a T3 :11

0 9m 10 1045- K ,3 -Zi?) INVENTORS ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 26, 1941. A. w. BYRON ETAL 2,253,609

PORTABLE GAR CLEANING MACHINE Filed Jan. 13, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORs: firthur wron 15. 2 Jul Tarot,

BY 'Wm ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES; ll 11F I Patented Aug. 26, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENTIVOFFICE PORTABLE CAR CLEANING MACHINE Arthur W. Byron, Wilmington, Del., and Julius Torok, Renovo, Pa.

Application January 13, 1940, Serial No. 313,684

11 Claims.

lected points alongside railroad tracks with resultant necessity for moving the coaches relative thereto in order to effect the cleaning operation. This involves the use of a locomotive and crew with associated expense and unnecessary labor, while in other instances unified apparatus of a portable character have been employed. The present invention has particular reference to a novel car washing unit, of the portable type, with the primary object'of providing a compact appliance for ready mounting on the deck or floor of an auto truck.

Another object is to provide a car washing unit of the type indicated, including a hollow tower for swivelly supporting the brush, as well as for housing some of the driving connections.

A further object is to provide a portable car washing unit of the indicated type, including a storage receptacle for a large quantity of cleaning medium.

Other objects and ancillary advantages of this invention will appear as the nature thereof is better understood, said invention consisting substantially in the novel items, arrangements and co-relation of parts, hereinafter-fully disclosed; illustrated by the accompanying four sheets of drawings, wherein similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, while the concluding. claims more particularly point out the features of novelty.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a portable car cleaning machine, embodying the present invention, in active operating position with respect to one side of a railroad coach and track, shown fragmentarily in outline by dot-and-dash lines.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, drawn to a slightly larger scale for purposes of clearness, and with the cleaning brush and associated means in active position relative to the coach side.

Fig. 3 is a plan section, taken as indicated by the arrows III-III in Fig. 5.

Fig. 4 is a broken end elevation, with the mast and cleaning brush in the inactive position, or as viewed in the direction of the arrows IV--IV at the left-hand of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a part elevation and part sectional view of the mast and associated operating parts,

in the inactive or transporting position.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation on the plane VI-VI of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevation between the confines, and viewed in the direction of the arrows VIIVII in Fig. 5; and,

Fig. 8 is a section on the plane VIII--VII[ in Fig. 3. I

In the following detailed description of the embodiment of this invention shown by the accompanying drawings, specific terms will be employed for the sake of clarity, but it isto be understood I that such terms are used in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Each such term is intended to include all reasonable equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish an analogous purpose.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the numeral I comprehensively designates a fragmentary portion of a railroad coach, 2 the wheels, and .3 the track; while 4' is the road-bed and siding having a drain-off 5 to carry away the used car cleaning or washing medium.

In accordance with the present invention, use is made of a known type of auto-truck body 6, having suitable wheels I a'nd a floor 8 of conventional character. Upon the floor 8 there is appropriately secured a stationary hollow standard or mast 9, said mast including an attaching base In and having the upper end diametricallyreduced and shouldered at l I, to provide a relatively less diameter vertical extension l2. The

extension I! is threaded at [3 for reception of a screw-collar l4, between which and the mast shoulder H is a rotatable collar I5, the purpose of which will be later on clarified; while said extension has the upper end closed in at l6 for axially sustaining a thrust-bearing H, in turn supporting a vertically rotative casing l8 fastened to said thrust-bearing by a fulcrum pin 9. In order to maintain the casing l8 coaxial with the mast extension l2, said casing is provided at intervals, preferably spaced apart at ninety degrees, with pockets 20 for housing suitable'ball bearings 2|, see Fig. 8 to best advantage, the

outer race of eachoperatively coacting with the outer circumferential surface of the mast extension l2. The ball bearings 2| are conveniently held in the pockets 20 by screw-studs 23 having the heads segmentally reduced or arcuately ground at 24; and said bearings are secured in place in the pockets 2|! before the revolvable casing I8 is applied to the mast 9, so that the portions 24 are radially close to the mast circumferential surface for restraining the studs 23 from working loose during the normal service life of the machine.

At a predetermined level, below the upper end housing ball bearings 3| for coaction with the confronting circumferential surface of the 'mast radial branch 25, see Fig. 6; said bearings corresponding in type and installation with the bear ings 2|; accordingly, further explanation herein is deemed unnecessary.

Formed integrally with the upper end of the casing I8 is a tangential pad 32 suitably reinforced by webs 33, said pad ailording rigid support, as by screw studs 34, for a saddle structure 35 embodying spacedly-related axially-aligned cylinder devices 36, with plungers 31 under the action of buffer springs 38, normally forcing said plungers towards one another. The confronting ends of the plungers 31 are forked at 39 and each equipped with a freely rotative roller 48 for contact with the respectively engageable sides of a vertical tongue 4|, radially projecting from the horizontal casing 29. Integral with the saddle structure 35 is a web42, paralleling the pad 32 of the casing I8, to which is rigidly secured the inner end of a vertically directed channel bar 44, while a flange 43 on the casing 29 affords corresponding attachment for an aligned channel bar 45, said web 42 and flange 43 also having secured thereto the inner ends of tubular brace members 48. It will be observed that the upper channel bar 44, as viewed in Fig. 1', is disposed vertical for a substantial extent, then stepped outwards at 41 and angularly bent to provide an upper horizontal extension 48, such angular bend being reinforced by gusset plates 49. The channel bar 45, on the other hand, is inclined to the vertical outwards from its point of attachment to the flange 43, and then bent to provide a lower horizontal extension 58 'paralleling the upper extenport of the cleaning means and associated mechanism now to be described.

Appropriately mounted on the channel bar extension 48 is a top bearing 52 in vertical registration with abottom thrust-bearing 53, similarly mounted on the channel bar extension 58; said bearings jointly affording journals for the shaft 54 of a rotary brush 55, with a substantially semi-circular guard or splash-housing 58 rigidly supported from the channel extension 48 by suitable means (not shown), and along the longitudinal edges whereof are applied perforated spray pipes 51, having the lower ends closed-in and their upper ends in flow communication with an arcual feed pipe 58, in turn connected by a flexible conduit 59 to the delivery side 88 of a suitable pump 6|. The pump 6| is in communication on its suction side, by a conduit 52 witha water tank 83, or any other appropriate cleaning fluid receptacle; while check valves 84, 85 variably regulate the flow and discharge from the tank 83 to the spray pipes 51, in an obvious manner.

In order to arrest and hold the rotative casing I8 in the active position, best understoodfrom Figs. 1 and 2, or the inactive and transporting location shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the collar I5 hereinbefore referred to is provided with spaced lugs 88 between which is hinged, by suitable means 81, the upper end of a lever arm 88 provided with a hand grasp 89 at the lower end. This lever arm 88 is adapted by vertical movement up-and-down to be located between vertically spaced pairs of retainer lugs 10, 1| projecting radially from the mast 9; the latter 1| of which, are apertured at 12 for passage of a securing pin 13 when a corresponding hole through the lever arm 88 registers with said lug apertures. It is also to be noted there are duplicate pairs of the lugs 18, 1| located circumferentially of the mast 9 at an angle of 15, for a purpose later set forth.

To cushion the horizontal oscillatory movement of the casing I8 and the brush carrying framework, defined generally by the parts 44, 45, 48, 48 and 58, the collar I5 hereinbefore referred to, is fitted with a saddle structure 35', builer devices 38', and rollers 48, Fig. 7 more particularly, for coaction with a horizontal radial tongue 14, at the lower end of the casing I8; while the inward stroke of the plungers 31, 31' under the action of the springs 38 in the devices 35 and 35' is variably limited by nuts 15 on the screw threaded outer ends of said plungers, in accordance with known practice.

To actuate the mechanism thus far described,

. asuitable motor 16 is mounted on the truck floor 8 with a multi-groove pulley 11 secured on the power shaft 18, said pulley being preferably operatively coordinated by V-belts 19, to a similar pulley 88, on a horizontal shaft 8| journaled in a pedestal bearing 82 at one end, and at the remote end in a bearing 83 forming a part of the basal portion of the hollow mast 9, with said shaft projecting thereinto, for secure attachment of a bevel gear 84. The bevel gear 84 meshes with a similar gear 85 at.the lower end of a vertical shaft 86, sustained by a thrust bearing 81, while the upper end of said shaft is Journaled in an appropriate bearing 88 supported from a bracket 89 within the mast 9, as best seen-in Fig. 5.

Secured to the vertical shaft 88 in proximity to the bearing 88 is a horizontally rotative multigroove pulley 90 about which are trained V-belts 9|, for driving a similar pulley 92 at the lower end of a vertical shaft 93, journaled in a thrust bearing 94, mounted on the horizontal casing 29. This shaft 93 is journaled at its upper part in a bearing 95 mounted on the framework arm 48,

and it is provided with a horizontally rotative multi-groove pulley 98 operatively coordinated to a similar pulley 91, fast on the upper end of the brush shaft 54, by V -belting 98.

Keyed on the horizontal shaft 8|, intermediate the bearings 82, 83, is a further multi-groove drive-pulley 99 about which is trained V-belting I88, coactive with a similar drive-pulley IIII fast on the outer end of the shaft I02 of the pump 6|. It is to be noted that when the rotary brush 55 is contacting the vertical side wall of a car or coach I, see Fig. 2, the collar I5 is held rigidly in position by means of the lever-arm 88 engaging and being secured between the appropriate lugs 18, 1|. The rotative casing I8, however, is free to adjust itself under the action of the spring-influenced plungers 31' with their rollers 43' contacting the horizontal tongue II, as before explained in connection with Fig. 'I. This freedom for adjustment likewise applies in respect to the vertical tongue 4| on the casing 29 carrying the framework and brush 55, as any irregularity in vertical alignment of said brush is automatically taken care of by the tongue'll acting between the buffer devices 38. In this connection, attention is also directed'to the provision of an elongated circumferential opening I03 in the upper part or extension I2, see Figs. 3 and 5, which allows clearance for the V-belts 9|, when the casing I8 is swung radially from the inactive position of Fig. 3 through an arc of 75 to the active location of Figs. 1 and 2'. Obviously suitable bearings or guards, not shown, may be furnished to cover or protect the respective multigrooved pulleys I1, 80, 99 and IIII; as well as the V-belts I9 and I; while'it is to beremarked the bearings 52, 53 and 94, 95, are preferably suitably attached to the horizontal bar extensions l8 and 59 and horizontal casing 29, to make provision for tightening up the V-belts 9| and 98, and in addition it is to be remarked that circular openings I94, I95 are provided in the casing and coactive branch 25 to facilitate application of the grooved pulley 92 to the shaft 93.

The operation of the improved cleaning or car washing machine is briefly as follows. Assuming the truck 8 is to be moved to a desired location for washing the side of a car I, the casing I8,

with the brush-frame and brush 55 are first swung beyond the rear end of the truck body 6,

and there locked to the mast 9 by the lever arm 33, as before described. Upon moving the. truck body 6, in any approved manner, to location alongside the track 3, the securing pin I3 is re-- .line of the truck body 9, and there secured stationary by lowering said lever arm between the registering lugs III, II, and reinserting the securing pin I3, as previously explained. The brush 5! is now ready for contact with the car side, whereupon the motor 16 is started, and the valves 94, opened to the desired extent. Now it will be evident that as the pump 6| assumes operation, water will be drawn from the tank 63 and forced through the conduit 59 to the feed and spray pipes 59, 51, respectively, and forced in jet formation from the latter against the side of the car I. As the truck body 6 is moved alongside the car I, it will be clear that the water sprayed by the leading pipe 51 will serve to par.- tially loosen the dirt on said car side, and the brush 55 revolving counterclockwise will remove said dirt as the truck body is moved along the standing car I, while the rear pipe 51 will effectively wash the dirt away or serve as a rinsing medium. It has been observed that a sixteeninch diameter brush 55 satisfactorily cleans not only the vertical sides of the car or coach I, but also the windows.

The machine disclosed is preferably adapted for washing railroad coaches, but it .will be understood other applications thereof, as f well as changes incidental thereto, are contemplated. Accordingly, the right is reserved to make such variations as the exigencies of service maydemand and the scope of the following claims permits; while it will be clearly apparent that by the use of a portable cleaning machine as hereinbefore disclosed,,the same can be readily transported alongside passenger coaches and the like for performance of the washing operation, at any car storage track, or elsewhere where it is convenient to drive alongside with an auto truck.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a car cleaning machine, a portable truck, a hollow mast on the truck, a pivotal casing on the mast and having a lateral branch, a casing with an outwardly extending frame carried by the branch, said casing and frame being rotatable with respect to and about the lateral branch, and means normally restraining rotation of the casing and frame while enabling self-adjustment of the latter into vertical position.

2. In a car cleaning machine, a portable truck, a hollow mast on the truck, a concentric casing rotatively supported by the mast and having a lateralbranch, means effective to normally hold said casing in angularly-related positions relative to the longitudinal center line of the portable truck, a concentric casing carried by and rotatable with respect to and about the lateral branch,

an outwardly extending frame rigid with the rotatable casing, and means normally preventing rotation of the last mentioned casing and frame, said means also permitting self-adjustment of the latter casing for alignment of the frame with the vertical.

3. In a car cleaning machine, a portable truck, a hollow mast on the truck having its upper end closed-in, a pivotal casing concentrically supported over the mast from the closed-in end, said pivotal casing having a radially directed horizontal branch, means for turning the pivotal casing through an angle of approximately seventyflve degrees relative to the longitudinal center line of the portable truck, means coactive with .the turning means for arresting said casing at the limits of such angular movement, buffer devices permitting self-adjustment of the pivotal casing relative to the moving-arresting means, a concentric casing carried by and rotative with respect to and about the horizontal branch, a diametrically-related outwardly-extending frame supported by said concentric casing, and buffer means permitting self-adjustment of the concentric casing for maintenance of the frame normally vertical.

4. In a car cleaning machine, a portable truck, a hollow mast on the truck, a pivotal casing on the mast and having a laterally directed branch, a revolvable casing carried by the said branch and including a frame structure, buffer means normally preventing movement of the revolvable casing and holding the frame structure vertical, said buffer means permitting self-adjustment of the revolvable casing and frame structure to maintain the latter aligned with the vertical, a rotary brush joumaled in the frame structure, means supplying cleaning fluid to the brush, and means partly housed within the mast and lateral branch for operating the rotary brush.

5. In a car washing machine, a portable truck, a hollow vertical mast mounted on the truck; a concentric casing pivotally supported over the upper part of the mast and having a horizontal branch communicating thereinto; a. revolvable casing sustained by, and over, the horizontal branch; a normally vertical framework attached to the revolvable casing; a rotary brush journaled in the framework parallel to the mast axis; means for holding the concentric casing in angularly-related positions relative to the longitudinal centerline of the portable truck; bufier devices, respectively, permitting self-adjustment 0f the concentric casing, and aligning the rotary brush with the vertical; a splash housing for the rotary brush with flanking spray pipes; means on the portable truck for supplying wash water to said pipes under variable control; mechanism mainly housed within the mast and its horizontal branch for actuating the rotary brush; and a motor also on the portable truck with appropriate connections for operating the brush actuating mechanism as well as the wash water supply means.

6. A car washing machine as defined in claim 5, wherein the concentric casing is pivotally supported from the top of the hollow mast by a thrust bearing, circumierentially spaced pockets about the lower part of the concentric casing housing ball bearings coactive with the mast confronting surface; and individual screw-studs each having a head, supporting the ball bearings in the respective pockets, said head being arcuately cut-out for engagement with the mast to prevent the stud working loose.

'7. A car washing machine as defined in claim 5, wherein the mast is provided with a diametrically reduced upper part for reception of the concentric casing, said reduced part defining a shoulder for seating reception of a. rotatable collar, a superpositioned screw-collar on the mast extension to restrain the rotatable collar against axial movement, and a buffer device carried by the rotatable collar for coaction with a radial tongue projecting from the bottom of the concentric casing.

8. A car washing machine as defined in claim 5, wherein the means for holding the mast concentric casing in either of its angularly-reiated positions comprise a vertically rotatable lever arm hinged at the upper end to a movable collar seating on a shouldered part of the mast, circumferentlally and vertically spaced lugs project radially from the mast below the collar aforesaid, the lower of said lugs being apertured for passage of a locking pin through a registerable hole in the lever arm when in the down or interengaging position, and said lever arm serving when swung horizontal to pivot the mast concentric casing between its angularly-related positions.

9. A car washing machine as defined in claim 5, wherein each of the bufler devices is in the form of a saddle structure including spaced cylinders, axially-aligned opposingly-effective springinfiuenced plungers in said cylinders, means for varying the tension of the springs, and the respective plunger inner ends support freely rotative rollers for coaction with the confronting sides of a radial finger projecting therebet'ween from the associated mast casing or the horizontal branch casing.

10. A car washing machine as defined in claim 5, wherein the normally vertical framework supported by the mast horizontal branch casing comprises aligned channel bars, having relativelyangled portions defining upper and lower parallel extensions, 9. bearing mounted on each said extension, a rotary brush journaled in said bearings, the splash guard is stationariiy sustained by the framework upper extension aforesaid, a paralleling drive-shaft sustained by a second bearing on the upper channel-bar extension and a thrust bearing on the branch casing aforesaid, and means operatively coordinates such drive shaft with the motor on the portable truck.

11. A car washing machine as defined in claim 5, further characterized in that the mast is provided with a vertically elongated opening affording communication into its horizontal branch, and that said branch and its casing have concentric openings in the upper faces thereof to facilitate assembly of the contained drive mechanism for the rotary brush.

ARTHUR W. BYRON. JULIUS 'IOROK 

